guineas.—_B. M. Carew._ MAKE, the old form, is still used by schoolboys
in Scotland. “Not a blessed MAG!” would be the phrase of a cadger down
on his luck to express his penniless state.
~Mag~, literary and printers’ slang for magazine.
~Mag~, to talk; hence MAGPIE. To MAG in thieves’ slang is to talk well
and persuasively.
~Maggoty~, fanciful, fidgety. Whims and fancies were formerly termed
MAGGOTS, from the popular belief that a maggot in the brain was the
cause of any odd notion or caprice a person might exhibit. Deer are
sometimes found to have maggots in their brains, which, perhaps,
accounts for the origin of the term.
~Magsman~, a street swindler, who watches for countrymen and “gullible”
persons, and persuades them out of their possessions. MAGSMEN are
wonderful actors. Their work is done in broad daylight, without any
stage accessories; and often a wink, a look, or a slip of the tongue
would betray their confederacy. Their ability and perseverance are truly
worthy of a better cause. MAGSMEN are very often men of superior
education. Those who “work” the tidal trains and boats are often
faultlessly dressed and highly accomplished.
~Mahcheen~, a merchant. Chinese pronunciation of the English
word.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Mahogany~, “to have one’s feet under another man’s MAHOGANY,” to sit at
his table, be supported on other than one’s own resources; “amputate
your MAHOGANY,” _i.e._, go away, elaboration of “cut your stick.”
~Mahogany flat~, a bug.
~Mail~, to post a letter; “this screeve is mailed by a sure hand.”
~Main-toby~, the highway, or the main road. _See_ TOBY.
~Make~, any one is said to be “on the MAKE” who asks too high a price
for his goods, or endeavours in any way to overreach.
~Make~, to steal, a successful theft or swindle. A man on the look-out
for swindling opportunities is said to be “on the MAKE.”
~Make tracks~, an Americanism synonymous with skedaddle; to make oneself
scarce.
~Make-up~, personal appearance.—_Theatrical._
~Makings~, materials. A man is often said to have the MAKINGS of a good
politician (or whatever he may aspire to be) in him, if they were but
properly applied.
~Malapropism~, an ignorant, vulgar misapplication of language, so named
from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Sheridan’s famous comedy of the
_Rivals_. Mrs. Partington afterwards succeeded to the mantle of Mrs.
Malaprop; but the phrase Partingtonism is as yet uncoined, for the
simple reason that Mrs. Malaprop was the original, Mrs. Partington the
imitation.
~Malley~, a gardener.—_Anglo-Indian._
~Manablins~, broken victuals.
~Man a-hanging~, a man in difficulties. _See_ HANGING.
~Mandozy~, a term of endearment among East-end Jews; probably from the
valiant fighter named Mendoza.
~Mang~, to talk.—_Scotch._
~Man-handle~, to use a person roughly, as to take him prisoner, turn him
out of a room, or give him a beating.
~Man in the moon~, the gentleman who is supposed to find the “pieces” to
pay election expenditure and electors’ expenses, so long as the latter
vote his way. _See_ ELECTION INQUIRIES.
~Marbles~, furniture, movables; “money and MARBLES,” cash and personal
effects.
~Marchioness~, a little, dirty, old-fashioned maid-of-all-work; a title
now in regular use, but derived from the remarkable character in the
_Old Curiosity Shop_.
~Mare’s nest~, a supposed discovery of marvels, which turn out no
marvels at all; from a story similar to that about the cock neighing.
Three Cockneys, out ruralizing, had determined to find out something
about nests. Accordingly, when they ultimately came upon a dungheap,
they judged by the signs therein that it must be a MARE’S NEST,
especially as they could see the mare close handy. An old preacher in
Cornwall up to very lately employed a different simile, as, “It’s like a
cow calving up in a tree.”
~Marine~, or MARINE RECRUIT, an empty bottle. This expression having
once been used in the presence of an officer of marines, he was at first
inclined to take it as an insult, until some one adroitly appeased his
wrath by remarking that no offence could be meant, as all that it could
possibly imply was, “one who had done his duty, and was ready to do it
again.”
~Mark~, to make one’s MARK is to achieve a success literary, artistic,
or otherwise. Men of eminence are said to leave their MARKS on the
earth’s surface. An American poet has described this ambitious, albeit
somewhat rare, proceeding as leaving “footprints on the sands of time.”
~Marketeer~, a betting man who devotes himself, by means of special
information, to the study of favourites, and the diseases incident to
that condition of equine life. The MARKETEER is the principal agent in
all milking and knocking-out arrangements.
~Market-horse~, a horse simply kept in the betting-lists for the purpose
of being betted against.
~Marplot~, an officious bungler, who spoils everything he interferes
with.
~Marriage lines~, a marriage certificate.—_Provincial._
~Marrow~, a mate, a fellow-workman, a pitman who works in a “shift” with
another.—_Northumberland and Durham._
~Marrow-bones~, the knees; “I’ll bring him down upon his MARROW BONES,”
_i.e._, I’ll make him bend his knees as he does to the Virgin Mary.
Supposed to be from Mary Bones, an objectionable term used by the first
Protestants in reference to the supposed adoration of the Virgin Mary by
Catholics.
~Marrowskying.~ _See_ MEDICAL GREEK.
~Marry~, a very old term of asseveration, originally (in Popish times) a
mode of swearing by the Virgin Mary; _q.d._, by Mary.
~Martingale~, a gambling term, which means the doubling of a stake every
time you lose; so that when you win once you win back all that you have
lost. So called from the fact that, as in all fair games you must win
once, you have a safe hold of fortune. The difficulty is to obtain a
bank large enough to do this effectively, or having the bank to find any
one who will follow you far enough, in a fair game.
~Mary Ann~, the title of the dea ex machinâ evolved from trades-unionism
at Sheffield, to the utter destruction of recalcitrant grinders. She is
supposed to do all the “blow-ups,” steal all the bands, and otherwise
terrorize over victims of the union.
~Marygold~, one million sterling. _See_ PLUM.
~Maskee~, never mind, no consequence.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Massacre of the innocents~, when the leader of the House of Commons
goes through the doleful operation of devoting to extinction a number of
useful measures at the end of the session, for want of time to pass
them. _Vide Times_, 20th July, 1859: Mr. C. Foster, on altering the time
of the legislative sessions.—_Parliamentary Slang._
~Master of the Mint~, a gardener.
~Master of the Rolls~, a baker.
~Mate~, the term a coster or low person applies to a friend, partner, or
companion; “me and my MATE did so and so,” is a common phrase with a low
Londoner. Originally a _sea term_.
~Matey~, a labourer in one of Her Majesty’s dockyards. Common
elaboration of the word MATE.
~Maudlin~, Magdalen College, Oxford. This is the old English
pronunciation of the word.
~Mauley~, a fist, that with which one strikes as with a
mall.—_Pugilistic._
~Mauley~, a signature, from MAULEY, a fist; “put your fist to it,” is
sometimes said by a tradesman when desiring a fellow-trader to put his
signature to a bill or note.
~Maund~, to beg; “MAUNDERING on the fly,” begging of people in the
streets.—_Old Cant._ MAUNG, to beg, is a term in use amongst the
gipsies, and may also be found in the Hindoo vocabulary. MAUND, however,
is pure Anglo-Saxon, from MAND, a basket. Compare BEG, which is derived
from BAG—a curious parallel.
~Maw~, the mouth; “hold your MAW,” cease talking.
~Mawworm~, a hypocrite of the most unpleasant kind. From Bickerstaff’s
play of _The Hypocrite_. Originally a MAWWORM was a worm in the
stomach, the thread worm.
~Max~, gin; MAX upon tick, gin obtained upon credit.
~Mazarine~, the platform beneath the stage in large theatres. Probably
corruption of _Italian_, MEZZANINO.
~M. B. coat~, (_i.e._, Mark of the Beast,) a name given to the long
surtout worn by some of the clergy,—a modern Puritan form of abuse,
said to have been accidentally disclosed to a High Church customer by a
tailor’s orders to his foreman.
~Mealy-mouthed~, soft-spoken, plausible, deceitful. A specious liar is
said to be MEALY-MOUTHED.
~Mean white~, a term of contempt among negroes, in the old slavery days,
for white men without landed property. A white man in the Southern
States had no _locus standi_ unless he possessed property, and the
blackest of niggers would have felt insulted at any “poor white trash”
claiming to be “a man and brother.”
~Measley~, mean, miserable-looking, “seedy;” “what a MEASLEY-looking
man!” _i.e._, what a wretched, unhappy fellow.
~Medical Greek~, the slang used by medical students at the hospitals. At
the London University they have a way of disguising English, described
by Albert Smith as the Gower Street Dialect, which consists in
transposing the initials of words, _e.g._, “poke a smipe”—smoke a pipe;
“flutter-by”—butterfly, &c. This disagreeable nonsense, which has not
even the recommendation of a little ability in its composition, is often
termed Marrowskying. _See_ GREEK, ST. GILES’S GREEK, or the “_Ægidiac_”
dialect, Language of ZIPH, &c.
~Meisensang~, a missionary, Chinese pronunciation of the English
word.—_Anglo-Chinese._
~Menagerie~, the orchestra of a theatre.—_Theatrical._
~Menavelings~, odd money remaining after the daily accounts are made up
at a railway booking-office,—usually divided among the clerks. _See_
OVERS and SHORTS.
~Men of Kent~, men born in that portion of the “garden of England” which
lies east of the Medway, as distinguished from Kentish men born the
other side. The MEN OF KENT are entitled to the benefit of the old laws
of the county, that of gavelkind particularly.
~Merkin~, a term usually applied to a woman’s privities. Originally
false hair for those parts.
~Merry Dun of Dover~, a large ship figuring in sailors’ yarns. She was
so large that when passing through the Straits of Dover her flying
jib-boom knocked down Calais steeple; while, at the same time, the fly
of her ensign swept a flock of sheep off Dover cliffs. She was so lofty
that a boy who attempted to go to her mast-head found himself a grey old
man when he reached the deck again. This yarn is founded on a story in
the Scandinavian mythology. There is also a legend among sailors of the
gallant Thunderbomb, which had “ninety-nine decks and no bottom.”
~Mesopotamia~, a name given to Eaton Square and neighbourhood when first
built. This part was also called Cubitopolis.—_Fashionable slang._
~Mess~, to interfere unduly. Costermongers refer to police supervision
as MESSING. Among sailors, a dead man is said to have lost the number of
his MESS.
~Metallician~, a racing bookmaker. Bookmakers use metallic books and
pencils.
~Middy~, abbreviation of midshipman.—_Naval._
~Midge net~, a lady’s veil.
~Mike~, an Irish hodman, or general labourer.
~Mike~, to loiter; or “lazy about.” The term probably originated in St.
Giles’s, which is thronged with Irish labourers, who rarely or never
labour (MIKE being so common a term with them as to become a generic
appellation for Irishmen), and who loiter and lean against the
public-houses in the “Dials.” It has been said that the term is Old
English, MICHE, to skulk, to loiter; Old Norse, MAK, leisure, idleness.
“Shall the blessed sun of heaven prove a MICHER?”
_Shakspeare’s Hen. IV._, ii. 4.
Whatever may have been its origin, there can be now no doubt that the
word is supposed to have particular reference to the habits of the Irish
MIKES, or labourers, though now and again it is borrowed in the
interests of others.
~Mild~, second-rate, inferior. _See_ DRAW IT MILD. Also feeble,
inefficient, as “a MILD attempt.” Weak young men who keep bulldogs, and
dress in a “loud” stable style, from a belief that it is very becoming,
are sometimes called “MILD bloaters.”
~Milk~, a term used in connexion with racing; when a horse is entered in
a race for which his owner does not intend him to run, or at all events
in which he does not intend him to win, and bets against him, the animal
is said to “be MILKED.” MILKING, is keeping a horse a favourite, at
short odds, for a race in which he has no chance whatever, or in which
he will not be allowed to try, for the purpose of laying against him.
~Milky ones~, white linen rags.
~Mill~, a fight, or set to. _Ancient Cant_, MYLL, to rob. Probably
from the special opportunities afforded to pickpockets when the ring was
a “national institution.”
~Mill~, to fight or beat.
~Mill~, the old Insolvent Debtors’ Court. “To go through the MILL” was
equivalent to being “whitewashed.”
~Mill~, the tread-MILL.
~Miller.~ To drown the MILLER is to put too much water in anything. The
phrase was originally “to drown the MILLER’S thumb,” or go over the
specified mark, _i.e._, the thumb-mark, in adding water to ardent
spirits.
~Miller.~ “To give the MILLER” is to engage a person in conversation of
an apparently friendly character, when all at once the bystanders
surround and pelt him with flour, grease, and filth of various kinds,
flour predominating. This mode of punishing spies, informers, and other
obnoxious individuals, is used by cabmen, omnibus conductors, _et hoc
genus omne_. Eggs are useful missiles in an engagement of this
description. If rotten eggs are not obtainable, ordinary ones will do.
~Miller.~ This word is frequently called out when a person relates a
stale joke. _See_ JOE.
~Milvader~, to beat.
~Mish~, a shirt, or chemise. From COMMISSION, the ancient cant for a
shirt, afterwards shortened to K’MISH or SMISH, and then to MISH.
_French_, CHEMISE; _Italian_, CAMICIA.
“With his snowy CAMESE and his shaggy capote.”—_Byron._
~Mitey~, a cheesemonger.
~Mitten.~ “To get the MITTEN” is, in Canadian slang, to be jilted.
~Mittens~, the boxing gloves.
~Mizzle~, a frequentative form of MIST in both senses; as applied to
weather, it is used by John Gadbury in his _Ephemeris_ in 1695—MISTY
and MIZZLING—to come down as mist; while the other sense may be
expressed as to fade away like a mist.
~Mizzle~, to run away, or decamp; to disappear as in a mist. From
MIZZLE, a drizzling rain; a Scotch mist.
“And then one MIZZLING Michaelmas night,
The Count he MIZZLED too.”—_Hood._
~Mizzler~, or RUM-MIZZLER, a person who is clever at effecting an
escape, or getting out of a difficulty.
~Moab~, a name applied to the turban-shaped hat which was some
few years back fashionable among ladies, and ladylike swells of
the other sex. From the Scripture phrase, “MOAB is my washpot”
(Ps. lx. 8), which latter article the hat in question was supposed
to resemble.—_University._
~Mob.~ Swift informs us, in his _Art of Polite Conversation_, that MOB
was, in his time, the slang abbreviation of “mobility,” just as NOB is
of “nobility,” at the present day. _See_ SCHOOL.
“It is perhaps this humour of speaking no more words than we needs
must which has so miserably curtailed some of our words, that in
familiar writings and conversation they often lose all but their
first syllables, as in MOB., red., pos., incog., and the
like.”—_Addison’s Spectator._
~Mob~, a thief’s immediate companions, as,—“our own MOB;” MOBSMAN, a
dressy swindler or pickpocket.
~Mob~, to hustle, crowd round, and annoy, necessarily the action of a
large party against a smaller one, or an individual. Mobbing is
generally a concomitant of street robbery.
~Mobility~, the populace; or, according to Burke, the “great unwashed.”
Johnson calls it a cant term, although Swift notices it as a proper
expression.
~Mockered~, holey, marked unpleasantly. A ragged handkerchief and a
blotched or pitted face are both said to be MOCKERED.
~Modest quencher~, a glass of spirits and water. Dick Swiveller was fond
of a MODEST QUENCHER.
~Moey~, the mouth.—_Gipsy_ and _Hindoo_. Shakspeare has MOE, to make
mouths.
~Mofussilite~, an inhabitant of an up-country district.—_Anglo-Indian._
~Moisten your chaffer~, a slang phrase equivalent to “take something to
drink.” Also “moisten your clay,” originally applied to smokers, now
general, and supposed to have reference to the human clay.
~Moke~, a donkey.—_Gipsy_, but now general to all the lower orders. A
“coster” and his “moke” are almost inseparable terms. Probably derived
originally from the Arabic _al mocreve_, a carrier.
~Moko~, a name given by sportsmen to pheasants killed by mistake during
September, before the pheasant-shooting comes in. They pull out their
tails, and roundly assert that they are no pheasants at all, but MOKOS.
~Moll~, a girl; nickname for Mary.—_Old Cant._
~Molled~, followed, or accompanied by a woman. When a costermonger sees
a friend walking with a woman he does not know, he says on the first
opportunity afterwards, “I see yer the other night when yer was MOLLED
up and too proud to speak.”
~Mollisher~, a low girl or woman; generally a female cohabiting with a
man who gets his living by thieving.
~Mollsack~, a reticule, or market basket.
~Moll Thomson’s mark~, that is, M. T.—empty; as, “Take away this
bottle, it has MOLL THOMSON’S MARK on it.” _See_ M. T.
~Moll-tooler~, a female pickpocket.
~Mollycoddle~, an effeminate man; one who “coddles” amongst the women,
or does their work.
~Mollygrubs~, or MULLIGRUBS, stomach ache, or sorrow—which to the
costermonger is much the same, as he believes, like the ancients, that
the viscera is the seat of all feeling. Costermongers are not alone,
even in the present day, in this belief.
~Molrowing~, “out on the spree,” in company with so-called “gay women.”
In allusion to the amatory serenadings of the London cats. Another form
of this is, “out on the tiles.”
~Mondayish~, or Mondayfied, disinclined for work. “St. Monday” is a
great institution among artizans and small tradesmen.
~Monk~, a term of contempt; probably an abbreviation of MONKEY.
~Monkey~, spirit or ill temper; “to get one’s MONKEY up,” to rouse his
passion. A man is said to have his MONKEY up or the MONKEY on his back,
when he is “riled,” or out of temper; this is old, and was probably in
allusion originally to the evil spirit which was supposed to be always
present with a man; also under similar circumstances a man is said to
have his back or hump up.
~Monkey~, the instrument which drives a rocket.—_Army._
~Monkey~, 500_l._-_-Sporting Slang._
~Monkey~, the vessel in which a mess receives its full allowance of
grog.—_Sea._
~Monkey-board~, the place or step attached to an omnibus, on which the
conductor stands.
~Monkey-boat~, a peculiar, long, narrow, canal boat.
~Monkey with a long tail~, a mortgage.—_Legal._
~Monkey’s allowance~, to get blows instead of alms, more kicks than
halfpence.
~Monkery~, the country, or rural districts. Originally an old word for a
quiet or monastic life.—_Hall._
~Monniker~, a person’s name or signature.
~Month of Sundays~, an indefinite period, a long time.
~Mooch~, to sponge; to obtrude oneself upon friends just when they are
about to sit down to dinner, or other lucky time—of course quite
accidentally. Compare HULK. To slink away, and allow your friend to pay
for the entertainment. In Wiltshire, TO MOOCH is to shuffle. _See_ the
following.
~Mooching~, or ON THE MOOCH, on the look-out for any articles or
circumstances which may be turned to a profitable account; watching in
the streets for odd jobs, horses to hold, &c.; also scraps of food,
drinks, old clothes, &c.
~Moon~, a month; generally used to express the length of time a person
has been sentenced by the magistrate; thus “one MOON” is one month of
four weeks. A calendar month is known as a “callingder” or long MOON. A
“lunar MOON,” ridiculous as the phrase may seem, is of constant use
among those who affect slang of this description.
~Mooney~, intoxicated, a name for a silly fellow.
~Mooning~, loitering, wandering about in a purposeless manner.
~Moonlight~, or MOONSHINE, smuggled spirits. From the night-work of
smugglers.
~Moon-raker~, a native of Wiltshire; because it is said that some men of
that county, seeing the reflection of the moon in a pond, took it to be
a cheese, and endeavoured to pull it out with a rake.
~Moonshee~, a learned man, professor, or teacher.—_Anglo-Indian._
~Moonshine~, palaver, deception, humbug.
~Mop~, a hiring place (or fair) for servants. Steps are often “about to
be taken” to put down these assemblies, which have been proved to be
greatly detrimental to the morality of the poor. They are supposed to
contribute largely to the bastardy percentages.
~Mop~, an habitual drunkard. Also a period of intoxication. “To be on
the MOP” is to be on the drink from day to day—to be perpetually
“stale drunk.”
~Mop up~, to drink, or empty a glass.—_Old Sea term._
~Mops and brooms~, intoxicated. Supposed by an imaginative person to be
the appearance presented by the world to a very drunken man. Possibly
the term was first used to express sea-sickness.
~Mopusses~, money; “MOPUSSES ran taper,” money ran short.
~Moral~, a forthcoming result which appears certain—originally MORAL
certainty. This is racing slang, as, “The race is a MORAL for Cremorne.”
These MORALS are often, however, of very uncertain tenure.
~More-ish.~ When there is scarcely enough of an eatable or drinkable, it
is said to taste MORE-ISH; as, “This wine is very good, but it has a
slight MORE-ISH flavour.”
~Morris~, to decamp, be off. Probably from the ancient MORESCO, of
MORRIS-DANCE. _See Shakspeare._
~Mortar-board~, a square college cap.
~Mortgage-deed~, a pawnbroker’s duplicate.
~Moskeneer~, to pawn with a view to obtaining more than the actual value
of an article. There are, in various parts of the country, men who make
MOSKENEERING a profession—that is, they buy jewellery which, though
fairly good, is not so good as it seems, and pawn it as opportunity
occurs. It is notorious that some men can obtain a much larger sum
on a given article than others can; though the smallest of these
professionals generally manage to get good livings, which does not say
much for the judgment of those constant inspectors of personal
property—pawnbrokers’ assistants.
~Mot~, a girl of indifferent character. Formerly, _Mort_. _Dutch_,
MOTT-KAST, a harlotry. MOT-CART, _see_ LOOSE-BOX.
~Mouchey~, a Jew.
~Mouldy~, grey-headed. Servants wearing hair-powder are usually termed
MOULDY-PATES by street boys.
~Mouldy-grubs~, travelling showmen, mountebanks who perform in the open
air without tent or covering. Doing this is called MOULDY-GRUBBING.
~Mount~, a saddle-horse. According to quality, “a good MOUNT,” or “a bad
MOUNT.”
~Mount~, in theatrical parlance, to prepare for production on the stage.
“The piece was excellently MOUNTED.”
~Mounter~, a false swearer. Derived from the borrowed clothes men used
to MOUNT, or dress in, when going to swear for a consideration.
~Mountain-dew~, whisky, advertised as from the Highlands.
~Mountain-pecker~, a sheep’s head. _See_ JEMMY.
~Mourning~, “a full suit of MOURNING,” two black eyes; HALF-MOURNING,
one black eye.
~Mouse~, a black eye. By a façon de parler, any one with “a MOUSE” is
supposed to have been to Blackwall.
~Mouth-almighty~, a noisy, talkative person.
~Mouthpiece~, a lawyer, or counsel. Thieves and their associates always
speak of a counsel as a MOUTHPIECE.
~Move~, a “dodge,” or cunning trick; “up to a MOVE or two,” acquainted
with tricks. Probably derived from the game of chess.
~M.P.~, member of the police, one of the slang titles of the Force.
~Mrs. Grundy~, the representative of the censorious world, “What will
MRS. GRUNDY say?” Originally a character in the comedy of _Speed the
Plough_.